LeRon Lee, a Newark, NJ native, is a filmmaker and educator whose work explores
themes of life, identity, rebirth, and discovery. His acclaimed short film, UGLY, was
acquired by HBO and its platforms, and was featured in over 40 festivals, including a
premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and a finalist spot in the HBO Short Film
Competition. UGLY has garnered six “Best Short Film” awards. Later, he was
shortlisted for the 2020 HBOAccess Directing Fellowship, a 2022 Disney Launchpad
finalist, and a 2023 NBC Original Voices Pitch Competition fellow.
Lee’s two-part short film, Catch A Girl and The Catch A Girl Experience, delves into the
development of predatory misogyny in male adolescents. This project has earned him
three “Best Director” awards and was recently acquired by PBS. Catch A Girl is also
used as an educational tool in classes at Dartmouth, Princeton, and other universities.
In addition to his filmmaking, Lee is dedicated to educational enrichment, teaching
filmmaking to incarcerated youth and individuals transitioning from prison. He is the
co-creator of The Newarkive, a boutique multimedia archive that shares images and
connects stories of Newark residents. Lee directed the Newarkive's flagship
documentary, Stingrays, which tells the story of the Newark Swim Team, the first team
of color to win a state championship in the United States. He also directed Faith
Ringgold: American Story, a short documentary on the life and legacy of Faith Ringgold
for The Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. His latest short film, Ninki Nanka, is set
for release later this year.